This Saturday 28th March 2009, 2,398 cities, towns and municipalities in 83 countries will be observing the WWF Earth Hour 2009, in a move to let world leaders know of the worldwide concern about global warming and demand action on climate change. In Malaysia, this simple act of switching off all lights for an hour will be at 2030 hrs. All are encouraged to do the same. (Go to the Earth Hour website, here).Googling for more information on the subject, I stumbled on the fact that actually cattle farming accounts for more greenhouse gas emissions than, say, the entire transportation sector i.e., all road vehicles, trains, aeroplanes and ships combined. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), bovine burps and flatulence in livestock production contribute 18 per cent of the greenhouse methane gas emissions believed to cause global warming.
In other words, cattle farts (kentut lembu) are warming up the planet!
But rising sea levels and the recent droughts and fires Down Under, for example, are no laughing matter.
Perhaps it is time now for all of us to seriously consider saying goodbye to McD, T-bone steaks and sup ekor ... and go vegetarian.
Sheeesh.
In the meantime, we can all also do our part in our own small ways. So lights off Saturday night for an hour at 2030 hrs. Afraid of the dark? Go light a candle.
As we all know, what and how we eat determines what will come out at both ends of the human tube!
ReplyDeleteCertain food are more flatulence prone than others!
Perhaps what the farmers can do is to look into the diet and dietary patterns of the cows (and bulls). When they are allowed to graze may determine how much wind is produced in their stomachs. The type of grass etc...
I'm certainly not giving up the occasional juicy ribye or Darabif burger!